Mary Olson of Port Edwards has the pressure in her eyes tested Monday April 29, 2013 by Christie Greiner, an Ophthalmic Assistant, at the Ministry Medical Group Eye Exam office in Wisconsin Rapids. / Casey Lake/Gannett Central Wisconsin Media

When to get a screening:

• It depends on the patient’s family eye health history, but adults should generally be screened every two years. • Adults older than 65 should consider eye screenings yearly. • If there are sudden vision changes, schedule an immediate eye exam. Source: Ministry Health Care ophthalmologist Shiloh Simons

People might fear that an eye exam would be uncomfortable, but patients receive numbing eye drops before eye pressure is tested.

Mary Olson of Port Edwards looks through a phoropter April 29 at the Ministry Medical Group Eye Exam office in Wisconsin Rapids. / photos by Casey Lake/Gannett Central Wisconsin Med

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Even if you are squeamish about someone touching your eyes, know that a preventive screening exam can give you valuable information about your vision and eye health.

Ministry Health Care ophthalmologist Shiloh Simons works out of offices in Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids. He said eye exams are easier than people expect.

“There’s nothing invasive or uncomfortable,” Simons said. And the entire exam is completed within an hour for most patients.

A technician will go over a patient’s answers on her health questionnaire to get a sense of her overall health. Then the technician will use a vision chart to conduct a check of the patient’s vision and how the eyes move together. There is a check of pressure in the eye, but patients are given numbing eye drops so they don’t feel a sensation like air blowing into the eye. Some patients might remember the old-fashioned air puffer that blasted out a short puff of air into the eye.

Many people worry that they won’t be able to see when their eyes are dilated for the eye exam. While it’s true that near vision can be affected, the effects are temporary. Dr. Simons said the only downtime part of the test is when patients are asked to wait about 20 minutes after drops are added to enlarge the pupils of each eye for additional screening.

After the wait, the doctor will look at the structures of the eye, checking the lens, retina, blood vessels and the macula for signs of glaucoma.

Simons said adults in their mid-40s might experience a typical change in their vision, called presbyopia. It makes closer objects more difficult to see as the lens stiffens with age. And in central Wisconsin, he said, about one in four adults experiences dry eye.